P-Rod Skate Park Opening in LA

Nike SB, The LA84 Foundation, and the City of Los Angeles Join
Paul Rodriguez, Jr. to Open New Skate Park

Paul Rodriguez, Sr. serves as event emcee on
Go Skateboarding Day and Father’s Day

Los Angeles (June 21, 2009) – In its continuing effort to give Los Angeles-area
youth new places to play, Nike, The LA 84 Foundation and the City of Los
Angeles joined Nike SB pro Paul Rodriguez, Jr. and his dad, legendary comedian
Paul Rodriguez, Sr., to inaugurate the Paul Rodriguez Skate Park at Ritchie
Valens Public Park in Pacoima, California.

Constructed in an area of Los Angeles near where Paul Rodriguez grew up, this
new skate park’s design pushes current standards by recreating famous
Southern California skate spots and incorporating them into the natural fabric of
the existing park. As popular as skateboarding is around the world, a majority of
famous skate spots in the United States are on private property and are illegal to
skate. This skate park has no fences or traditional skate park elements, just
natural, skate-able architecture, as skaters would find in any neighborhood.

“I wish I was 15 again so that I could grow up with such amazing terrain nearby,”
said Rodriguez, Jr. “If you wanted to, you could film here—there is no difference
between this park and a real spot. For example, the ditch at the end of the path is
a re-creation of the Griffith Park run-off ditch, and the blue handrails in the plaza
are replicas of the nearby Sylmar rails that are no longer skate-able.”

The Paul Rodriguez Skate Park was designed and constructed by Joe Ciaglia
and California Skateparks. As industry leaders in forward thinking design and
construction, the firm was the logical choice. Skate legend and fellow Nike SB
team rider Lance Mountain was also the co-designer of the park. He sums up
the park’s concept:

“The process starts by thinking the way most street skaters feel about skating:
skate to a spot, have a session and then move to the next spot. The challenge is
to build a place where skaters can hang out and feel like it’s a real session in the
street or schoolyard without getting kicked out. And if you want to film there, the
photos and video should look like a real skate spot. Just freedom—you should
not feel like you were being punished or sentence to skate here.”